School bus accident sends 15 to hospital

Seven Hightstown High School students were taken to local hospitals this morning after their school bus was involved in an accident in Twin Rivers.

By: T.J. Furman
   EAST WINDSOR — Fifteen people were sent to local hospitals this morning when a bus carrying students to Hightstown High School collided with a commuter van in Twin Rivers.
   Seven of the 22 children on the bus and all eight people in the van were taken to local hospitals, according to a press release from township police. The school district’s business administrator, David Shafter, and police said none of the injuries are believed to be serious.
   The crash took place at the intersection of Twin Rivers and Lake drives, less than a quarter-mile from the location of the East Windsor Rescue Squad District 2 and the East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, at 7:27 a.m., police said.
   According to police, the bus was traveling west on Twin Rivers Drive and struck the 1995 Ford passenger van on the driver’s side. The van was moving south on Lake Drive at the time.
   Mr. Shafter said it was his understanding that the van missed a stop sign at the intersection.
   According to police, the bus driver was Stuart A. Ostrowsky, 56, of Evanston Drive in Twin Rivers. Police identified the van’s driver as Juan Carlos Roca Rosil, 22, of Alexandria, Va.
   Police said several of the van’s passengers had to be extricated from the vehicle before they could be treated and transported to local hospitals.
   Two of the students were taken to the Medical Center at Princeton and five others were transported to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold. Three of the van’s occupants were taken to the Fuld campus of Capital Health System in Trenton, three were tranported to CentraState and two were taken to Princeton, police said.
   Mr. Shafter said the district has attempted to contact the parents of the students, but did not know if all of those attempts had been successful as of 10 a.m.
   Nine ambulances, two advanced life support units two fire companies and one heavy rescue unit responded to the scene, police reported. East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2, Hightstown Engine Company No. 1, East Windsor Rescue Squad District 1, Hightstown First Aid Squad, Cranbury First Aid Squad, West Windsor First Aid Squad and Monroe Township Emergency Services aided at the scene.
See the March 29, 2002 edition of the Windsor-Hights Herald for more on this story.